Thermal treatment device and method for operating the thermal treatment device

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal treatment device, such as a pasteurizer, cooler or heater, having at least one container feed device for feeding containers each to one mass flow conveyor comprised by the thermal treatment device. The treatment device adjoins the at least one container feed device. The container feed device comprises: an at least one-track infeed conveyor; a first group of a plurality of parallel first conveyors; a second group of a plurality of parallel second conveyors which are arranged so as to be parallel and adjoining the first group. The containers can be transferred from the second group to a mass flow conveyor transversely to the second direction, in the direction. The invention furthermore relates to a method for operating the thermal treatment device with the at least one container feed device.

Claims

1. Thermal treatment device comprising at least one treatment deck and the thermal treatment device comprising per treatment deck a mass flow conveyor and a container feed device for feeding containers to a first mass flow conveyor, wherein the mass flow conveyor adjoins the container feed device, and wherein the container feed device comprises: an infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked which are driveable in a first direction and are designed to convey containers in the first direction, a first group of a plurality of parallel first conveyors which are arranged so as to be parallel and adjoining the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked and which are driveable in the first direction and are designed to convey containers in the first direction, a second group of a plurality of parallel second conveyors which are arranged so as to be parallel and adjoining the first group of a plurality of parallel first conveyors and which are driveable in a second direction and are designed to convey containers in the second direction which is counter to the first direction, wherein the containers of the second group of a plurality of parallel second conveyors are transferable transversely to the second direction in the direction to the mass flow conveyor.

2. Thermal treatment device according to claim 1, wherein a transfer region, in which containers of the second group of a plurality of parallel second conveyors are transferable, transversely to the second direction in the direction, to the mass flow conveyor, has a length which is at least twice as large as a conveying width of the container feed device.

3. Thermal treatment device according to claim 1, wherein a further single-tracked inlet conveyor is provided so as to be parallel and adjoining the second group of a plurality of parallel second conveyors, or a plurality of further single-tracked inlet conveyors is provided, wherein the further single-tracked inlet conveyor or the plurality of further single-tracked inlet conveyors are driveable in the first direction and is/are designed to convey containers in the first direction.

4. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the further single-tracked inlet conveyor or the plurality of further further-tracked inlet conveyors comprise(s) a feed length region along which containers are supplyable from the further single-tracked inlet conveyor or the plurality of further single-tracked inlet conveyors to the mass flow conveyor, wherein the feed length region has a length that is at least twice as large as a conveying width of the container feed device.

5. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein above a transport surface of the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked and above at least some of the transport surfaces of the plurality of parallel first conveyors, a rail with deflectors is provided.

6. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein at the end of at least some of the plurality of parallel first conveyors and at the beginning of at least some of the plurality of parallel second conveyors, above the transport surfaces, a concavely designed rail is provided, wherein the concavely designed rail comprises a curve that describes an angle lying within a range of angles of 165 to 195, wherein the rail with the deflectors passes over into the concavely designed rail.

7. Thermal treatment device according to claim 6, wherein above a transport surface at the end of the further single-tracked inlet conveyor, a further concave rail is provided, wherein the further concavely designed rail passes over into the concavely designed rail, wherein the further concave rail comprises a curve which describes an angle that is within a range of angles of 75 to 105.

8. Thermal treatment device according to claim 5, wherein above the transport surfaces between the first group and the second group, a straight rail is provided which is designed such that a transition region for containers is provided between the first group and the second group.

9. Thermal treatment device according to claim 8, wherein above the transport surfaces of the plurality of parallel second conveyors, a rail with steps is provided, wherein the rail with the steps leaves the transition region free for containers, wherein the straight rail passes over into the rail with the steps.

10. Thermal treatment device according to claim 8, wherein the transition region, seen along the first direction or the second direction, has a length whose value is greater by a factor of 1.8 to 3 than a value of a conveying width of the first group or the second group.

11. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked and/or the plurality of parallel first conveyors, and/or the plurality of parallel second conveyors, and/or the further single-tracked inlet conveyor, or the plurality of further single-tracked inlet conveyors each comprise transport surfaces which are arranged in a coplanar manner in a plane, wherein the plane includes an angle of 0.5 to 14 with a plane perpendicular to the direction of action of the force of gravity.

12. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the container feed device furthermore comprises a control device for controlling drive speeds, wherein a control is provided wherein the mathematical amount of drive speeds each decreases, starting from the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked to the plurality of parallel first conveyors in the first direction, wherein the mathematical amount of drive speeds of the plurality of parallel second conveyors initially increases in the second direction and then decreases again.

13. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the container feed device furthermore comprises a control device for controlling drive speeds, wherein a control is provided wherein the mathematical amount of drive speeds each decreases, starting from the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked to the plurality of parallel first conveyors in the first direction, wherein the mathematical amount of a drive speed of the further single-tracked inlet conveyor in the first direction is the smallest one of the mathematical amounts.

14. Thermal treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the container feed device furthermore comprises a control device for controlling drive speeds, wherein a control is provided wherein the mathematical amount of drive speeds each decreases, starting from the infeed conveyor being at least single-tracked to the plurality of parallel first conveyors in the first direction, wherein the mathematical amounts of drive speeds of the plurality of further single-track inlet conveyors in the first direction are each smaller than an amount of the drive speed of the slowest one of the plurality of parallel second conveyors.

15. Thermal treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a further control device for controlling a speed of the mass flow conveyor.

16. Thermal treatment device according to claim 1, wherein exactly one infeed conveyor being single-tracked is provided.

17. Thermal treatment device according to claim 1, wherein two or more infeed conveyors being single-tracked are provided.

18. Method for operating the thermal treatment device according to claim 15, wherein a control of the container feed device is accomplished by means of the control device, and/or wherein a control of the mass flow conveyor is accomplished by means of the further control device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a grading of the different drive speeds is non-linear with respect to each other, or wherein the gradings are each percental with respect to each other or each amount to a factor of each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The enclosed figures serve for a better understanding and for illustrating aspects of the invention. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of a first embodiment of a container feed device,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of a second embodiment of a container feed device,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of FIG. 1 with a view into the second direction, wherein the transport surfaces are arranged in an inclined manner,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of FIG. 2 with a view into the second direction, wherein the transport surfaces are arranged in an inclined manner,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of the second embodiment of the container feed device in which a container distribution at a given point in time is represented,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a diagonal view of a thermal treatment device having two treatment decks and two container feed devices oriented horizontally, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a diagonal view of a thermal treatment device having two treatment decks and two container feed devices oriented in an inclined manner.

(9) FIG. 8 shows an example grading of different drive speeds being non-linear.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(10) FIG. 1 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of a first embodiment of a container feed device 1 for feeding containers to a mass flow conveyor 18. The mass flow conveyor 18 is generally not comprised by the container feed device 1, however, it is also possible that it is comprised by it.

(11) The container feed device 1 comprises an at least one-track infeed conveyor 2 (here presented with one track and therefore referred to as one-track infeed conveyor below) which can be driven in a first direction 16 and can convey containers transported, for example, on its transport surface into the first direction.

(12) A first group 8 of a plurality of parallel first conveyors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 is provided so as to be parallel and adjoining the one-track infeed conveyor 2 which can be driven in the first direction 16 each. On the respective transport surfaces of the first conveyors 3 to 7, containers can be conveyed in the first direction 16.

(13) A second group 14 of a plurality of parallel second conveyors 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 is provided so as to be parallel and adjoining the first group 8 which can be driven in a second direction 17 each. On the respective transport surfaces of the second conveyors 9 to 13, containers can be conveyed in the second direction 17. The first and second directions 16, 17 are counter with respect to each other.

(14) Above one transport surface of the one-track infeed conveyor 2 and the transport surfaces of the first and second ones of the first conveyors 3, 4, a rail 26 with five deflectors 27 is arranged. This rail 26 passes over into a concavely designed rail 28 above the transport surface of the end of the second one of the first conveyors 4, the rail being provided at the end of the second, third, fourth and fifth ones of the first conveyors 4 to 7, and at the beginning of the first to fifth ones of the second conveyors 9 to 13 above the transport surfaces. Here, the concavely designed rail 28 comprises a curve that describes an angle of 180.

(15) Above the transport surfaces of the first and the second group 8, 14, between the first group 8 and the second group 14, a straight rail 30 is provided which is designed such that a transition region 31 for containers is present between the first group 8 and the second group 14. Above the transport surfaces of the first and the second group 8, 14 between the first group 8 and the second group 14, can here mean above between the transport surface of the last one of the first conveyors 7 and the first one of the second conveyors 9.

(16) The transition region 31, seen along the first or the second direction 16, 17, has a length 34 whose value is greater by a factor of 1.8 to 3 than a value of a conveying width 35, 36 of the first or second group 8, 14.

(17) Above the transport surfaces of the plurality of parallel second conveyors 9 to 13, a rail 32 with two steps 33 is provided which leaves the transition region 31 free for the containers. The straight rail 30 passes over into the rail 32 with the two steps 33.

(18) Above the transport surfaces of the plurality of parallel first conveyors 3 to 7, a further straight rail 39 is arranged which extends from the one-track infeed conveyor 2 to the straight rail 32.

(19) The containers can be transferred from the second group 14 of a plurality of parallel second conveyors 9 to 13 transversely to the second direction 17 in the direction 22 to the mass flow conveyor 18. For example, the containers of the fifth one of the second conveyors 13 can be transferred transversely to the second direction 17 in the direction 22 to the mass flow conveyor 18.

(20) A transfer region 19 (indicated by the section line), in which the containers can be transferred from the fifth one of the second conveyors 13 transversely to the second direction 17 in the direction 22 to the mass flow conveyor, has a length 20 that is at least twice as large as a conveying width 21 of the container feed device 1. The conveying width 21 here is composed of the sum of the conveying widths 35, 36 of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, the first conveyors 3 to 7, and the second conveyors 9 to 13.

(21) The drive speeds of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, the first conveyors 3 to 7, and the second conveyors 9 to 13 can be individually controlled by means of a (non-depicted) control device. Here, the mathematical amount of drive speeds can each decrease, starting from the one-track infeed conveyor 2 to the plurality of parallel first conveyors 3 to 7, the mathematical amount of drive speeds of the plurality of parallel second conveyors 9 to 13 can initially increase and then decrease again.

(22) A mathematical amount of a drive speed of the mass flow conveyor 18 in the direction 22 can be the smallest one.

(23) FIG. 2 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of a second embodiment of a container feed device 25. In FIG. 2, elements of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 that also appear in the second embodiment are designated with the same reference numerals. The description with respect to the first embodiment also applies for these elements in the second embodiment; only the transition to the mass flow conveyor 18 from the container feed device 25 is different from that of the container feed device 1.

(24) In the second embodiment of the container feed device 25, a further one-track inlet conveyor 15 is provided so as to be parallel to and adjoining said second group 14 of a plurality of parallel second conveyors 9 to 13. A plurality of further inlet conveyors each with one track can also be provided one next to the other and adjoin the second group. The further one-track inlet conveyor 15 can be driven in the first direction 16 and is designed to convey containers in the first direction 16, for example on a transport surface. Containers from the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 can be transferred to the mass flow conveyor 18 transversely to the first direction 17 in the direction 22. The same applies for the case where a plurality of further one-track inlet conveyors is provided.

(25) The further one-track inlet conveyor 15 comprises a feed length region 23 (indicated by the section lines) along which the containers can be supplied from the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 to the mass flow conveyor 18. The feed length region 23 has a length 24 which is at least twice as large as a conveying width 43 of the container feed device 25. The same applies for the case where a plurality of further one-track inlet conveyors is provided.

(26) This conveying width 43 is here composed of the sum of the conveying widths of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, the first conveyors 3 to 7, the second conveyors 9 to 13, and the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 or the plurality of further one-track inlet conveyors. The conveying widths can be measured perpendicularly to the first or second direction.

(27) The length 24 of the feed length region 23 can be measured along the first or second direction 16, 17. The feed length region 23 extends along a portion of the transport surface of the further one-track inlet conveyor 15. Since the length 24 of the feed length region 23 is at least twice as large as the conveying width 43 of the container feed device 25, the containers can be transferred to the mass flow conveyor 18 without a high pile-up pressure being formed between the containers.

(28) Above the transport surface at the end of the further one-track inlet conveyor 15, a further concave rail 29 is provided which comprises a 90 curve. The further concavely designed rail 29 passes over into the concavely designed rail 28.

(29) By the further concave rail 29, containers that are transferred from the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 to the mass flow conveyor 18 can also well be transferred into a region of the mass flow conveyor 18 which is opposed to the end of the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 (in the representation the right corner region of the mass flow conveyor 18).

(30) FIG. 3 shows a side view of FIG. 1 with a view into the second direction 17, wherein the transport surfaces of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, the first conveyors 3 to 7, and the second conveyors 9 to 13 are arranged in an inclined manner. The transport surfaces are arranged in a coplanar manner in a plane 41. The plane 41 includes an angle 37 with a plane 42 perpendicular to the direction of action 38 of the force of gravity, wherein the angle can be within a range of 0.5 to 14 (boundaries of the range included), or, for example, an angle of to 11, or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 8.

(31) The rail 26 with the deflectors 27, the concavely designed rail 28, the straight rail the rail 32 with the steps 33, and the further straight rail 39 are also arranged in an inclined manner and include an angle with a plane 42 perpendicular to the direction of action 38 of the force of gravity that can be within a range of 0.5 to 14 (boundaries of the range included), or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 11, or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 8.

(32) FIG. 4 shows a side view of FIG. 2 with a view into the second direction 17, wherein the transport surfaces of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, the first conveyors 3 to 7, the second conveyors 9 to 13, and the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 are arranged in an inclined manner. For the case where a plurality of further one-track inlet conveyors are provided these can also be inclined.

(33) The transport surfaces are arranged in a coplanar manner in a plane 41. The plane 41 includes an angle 37 with a plane 42 perpendicular to the direction of action 38 of the force of gravity, wherein the angle can be within a range of 0.5 to 14 (boundaries of the range included), or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 11, or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 8.

(34) The rail 26 with the deflectors 27, the concavely designed rail 28, the straight rail the rail 32 with the steps 33, the further straight rail 39, and the further concavely designed rail 29 are also arranged in an inclined manner and include an angle with a plane 42 perpendicular to the direction of action 38 of the force of gravity that can be within a range of to 14 (boundaries of the range included), or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 11, or, for example, an angle of 0.5 to 8.

(35) FIG. 5 shows a plan view onto a schematic view of the second embodiment of the container feed device 25 in which a distribution of containers 40 at a given point in time is represented.

(36) One can see how containers 40 coming from the one-track infeed conveyor 2 are distributed to the plurality of first conveyors 3 to 7 by the deflectors 27. In the transition region 31, the containers 40 pass from the first group 8 to the second group 14. By the length 34 of the transition region 31 whose value is greater than a value of the conveying width 35, 36 of the first group 8 or the second group 14 by a factor of 1.8 to 3, a loose transport of the containers can take place. This becomes clear by the free gaps between the containers 40.

(37) By means of the rail 32 with the steps 33, the containers 40 can be directed without pressure from the plurality of parallel second conveyors 9 to 13 to the further one-track infeed conveyor 15 and to the mass flow conveyor 18.

(38) Since the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 moves into the first direction 16, that means into the original infeed direction of the one-track infeed conveyor 2, a distribution and a transfer of the containers 40 to the mass flow conveyor 18 can be improved. Containers 40 that are transferred from the further one-track inlet conveyor 15 to the mass flow conveyor 18 can also well be transferred into the region of the mass flow conveyor 18 which is opposed to the end of the further one-track inlet conveyor 15.

(39) FIG. 6 shows a diagonal view of a thermal treatment device 43 having two treatment decks 44, 45 and two container feed devices 1, 25 oriented horizontally. The container feed device 1, 25 can correspond to the first or the second embodiment. The two treatment decks 44, 45 and the two container feed devices 1, 25 are arranged one upon the other in the direction of action of the force of gravity.

(40) Containers that are to be thermally treated in the thermal treatment device 43 can be transported by means of a transport device 46. The transport device 46 is embodied, for example, with one track. To be able to feed containers each to the container feed devices 1, 25 arranged one upon the other, a splitting device 47 is provided which can split the container flow into a first and a second portion. By means of a first transport device 48, the containers of the first treatment device 1, 25 (in FIG. 6, the lower treatment device), and by means of a second transport device 49, the containers of the second treatment device 1, 25 (in FIG. 6, the upper treatment device) can be fed.

(41) FIG. 7 shows a diagonal view of a thermal treatment device 43 having two treatment decks 44, 45 and two container feed devices 1, 25 oriented in an inclined manner Apart from the angle 50 that is included by a plane in which the transport surfaces of the container feed device are arranged in a coplanar manner, and a plane perpendicular to the direction of action of the force of gravity, the elements shown in FIG. 7 correspond to those of FIG. 6. The angle 50 may be within a range of 0.5 to 14.

(42) FIG. 8 shows an example 800 including a plurality of drive speeds including a first drive speed 802, a second drive speed 804, and a third drive speed 806. The drive speeds are shown schematically.